FM tuners - Are they OBSOLETE ?

Some interned broadcasts are rather low rez. Some FM broadcasts are low rent. It really depends on where you listen to what through what. The internet provides way more channels to choose from. FM may or may not provide better sound.

Think of Web-based radio stations like your digital camera after you have taken 1,000 photos.

Many of them are just not worth keeping so you delete them.

But, there are many that are crystal-clear and are real gems, so you save them for good and enjoy them.

Internet radio is like this. So many, some bad, but by the sheer number of stations out there, you are bound to hit probably 100 times more good ones than any standard FM market. And tons without the blabber and the ''Toyota Red Dot specials'' ads. Think about it.

Web radio done right is open, worldwide territory, with both music content and sound quality. This weekend they have a 2-day music special in honor of Bob Dyland's 70th birthday. It promises to be great. And it's on BBC 4 Scotland, a finger tap away in 128kps-through-Dac stream, and the sound is fabulous. Of course this is only science-fiction with even any mega-dollar analog tuners.

Soniqmike got it right.

The only problem with internet radio for most is the possibility of giving up looking for the gems because of too many choices and limited time, much like what many experience with 100s of cable or satellite TV channels today

"This weekend they have a 2-day music special in honor of Bob Dyland's 70th birthday."

Wow, gotta find that!

SOme of my favorite themed programs on teh internet I have heard have been on WWOZ New Orleans, which should be a cornerstone of any American music fan's channel set.

My Logitech Squeeze Radio has buttons for 6 presets. Mine include the local am news channel, RAdio Paradise, my custom pandora channel, WWOZ, and a couple of prgressive rock focused internet stations, including Stellar Attraction.

go buy yourself a brand new sony xdr-f1hd for under $100, and have some fun.

Mapman, that's not the only problem with internet radio. Some stations "broadcast" in low rez. There is a chance that the sound quality could possibly be better via FM.